By Lauren Olsen
Change is officially coming to Westfield Washington School at the elementary level as the board of school trustees approved Supt. Dr. Mark Keen’s redistricting recommendation of Plan A on Feb. 11.
Two plans were discussed to handle redistricting at the elementary level. According to Keen, Plan A will affect students at the two largest elementary schools: Oak Trace and Maple Glen.
According to Plan A’s details, students who reside in Springdale Farms, Village Farms, Bainbridge, Hills & Dales, Westfield Farms, Beacon Pointe and Shadow Lakes will be reassigned to Shamrock Springs Elementary. Officials said this will reduce the number of students at Oak Trace Elementary by 105 and will allow room for continued growth in the Viking Meadows neighborhood.
Other moves include: Pine Ridge, Quail Ridge and the boundary’s northwest corner to be assigned to Monon Trail; Carey Commons and the northeast corner move to Washington Woods; and the Keeneland development with no current homes will be reassigned to Maple Glen from Shamrock Springs.
“It’s very difficult to move students and families when you don’t have new schools to move them to. The nice thing about this is that everybody loves the school he or she is in; the bad thing is everybody loves the school he or she is in and somebody has to move,” Keen said.
School Board President Tim Gardner said that prior to the decision the board held two public hearings, took recommendations from a committee made up of parents and administration, listened to public comments at the last two school board meetings, and received online comments. The board also received many letters from concerned people that were read and considered before the decision was made.
“I assure everybody that we processed those and thought about those and wrestled with those and it was difficult,” Gardner said.
The redistricting will begin in the 2014-2015 school year.
